Recitation
اِبتدا کیا ہے ۔ محمّد اِقبال
خرد مندوں سے کیا پوچھوں کہ میری اِبتدا کیا ہے
کہ میں اِس فِکر میں رہتا ہوں، میری اِنتہا کیا ہے
خودی کو کر بلند اِتنا کہ ہر تقدیر سے پہلے
خدا بندے سے خود پوچھے، بتا تیری رضا کیا ہے
مقامِ گفتگو کیا ہو اگر میں کیمیا گر ہوں
یہی سوزِ نفس ہے اور میری کیمیا کیا ہے
نظر آئیں مجھے تقدیر کی گہرائیاں اُس میں
نہ پوچھ ائے ہم نشیں مُجھ سے یہ چشمِ سُرمہ سا کیا ہے
اگر ہوتا وہ مجذوبِ فرنگی اِس زمانے میں
تو اِقبال اُس کو سمجھاتا مقامِ کبریا کیا ہے
نوائے صبح گاہی نے جگر خوں کر دیا میرا
خدایا جِس خطا کی یہ سزا ہے، وہ خطا کیا ہے
इब्तेदा क्या है – मोहम्मद इक़्बाल
ख़िरद मन्दों से क्या पूछूं के मेरी इब्तेदा क्या है
के मैं इस फ़िक्र में रहता हुं मेरी इन्तेहा क्या है
ख़ुदी को कर बलन्द इतना के हर तक़्दीर से पहले
ख़ुदा बन्दे से ख़ुद पूछे बता तेरी रज़ा क्या है
मक़ाम-ए गुफ़्तगू क्या हो अगर मैं कीमिया-गर हुं
यही सोज़-ए नफ़स है और मेरी कीमिया क्या है
नज़र आईं मुझे तक़्दीर की गहराईयां उस में
न पूछ अय हम-नशीं मुझ से ये चश्म-ए सुर्मा-सा क्या है
अगर होता वो मज्ज़ूब-ए फ़िरंगी इस ज़माने में
तो इक़्बाल उस को समझाता मक़ाम-ए किब्रिया क्या है
नवा-ए सुबह गाही ने जिगर ख़ून कर दिया मेरा
ख़ुदाया जिस ख़ता की ये सज़ा है वो सज़ा क्या है
ibteda kya hai – mohammed iqbal
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion. iqbal was known to write about the merits of “Eastern spiritualism” as opposed to “Western materialism”. Each she’r in this Ghazal is an exponent of the superiority of spiritualism
Khirad-mandauN1 se kya poochhuN ke meri ibteda2 kya hai
ke maiN is fikr3 meN rahta huN, meri inteha4 kya hai1.people of knowledge, experts, scientists 2.beginning 3.worry 4.fate, end
Scientists are absorbed in the mechanistic/materialistic theory of evolution. They are all worried about how human beings evolved. iqbal is worried about the spiritual heights that can be achieved.
Khudi1 ko kar baland2 itna ke har taqdeer3 se pahle
Khuda bande4 se Khud poochhe, bata teri raza5 kya hai1.self, self-respect, self-reliance, spiritual self 2.high, powerful 3.fate 4.servant, creature 5.wish, will
Bring your spiritual self to such a high status that before every fate, god himself ask his servant, pray, what is your will.
maqaam1-e guftagu2 kya ho agar maiN keemiya-gar3 huN
yahi soz4-e nafas5 hai aur meri keemiya6 kya hai1.place of, need for 2.conversation, discussion 3.chemist, early chemists were focused on making gold from base metals 4.fire of, passion of 5.breath, word 6.chemistry
If I were a chemist trying to make gold out of base metal, then there would be no need for conversation/discussion. But my alchemy is different (it is the development of spirituality which is akin to gold while materialism is akin to base metals). That is why I have fire/passion in my breath/word.
nazar aaiiN mujhe taqdir1 ki gahraaiyaaN2 us meN
na poochh aye ham-nashiN3 mujh se ye chashm4-e surma5-sa kya hai1.fate 2.depths 3.friend 4.eye 5.collyrium lined Collyrium lined eye is a Sufi practice. This is thought to give “baseerat” – insight.
iqbal is talking about his own eye as the eye of a Sufi. He has insight and he is able to see the depth of fate/future.
agar hota vo majzoob1-e firaNgi2 is zamaane meN
to iqbal us ko samjhaata maqaam3-e kibria4 kya hai1.mad/obsessed man 2.western 3.place/status 4.greatness, spirituality
iqbal is writing about Nietzsche. He considers his theory of super-man to be materialistic self-absorbtion. If that mad man had been around today, then iqbal would have shown him the status of spiritualism.
navaa1-e subah-gaahi2 ne jigar KhuN kar diya mera
Khudaaya jis Khata3 ki ye saza4 hai, vo Khata kya hai1.voice, sound 2.early morning 3.fault, sin 4.punishment
This is a tongue-in-cheek complaint. Poets are supposed to get “inspiration” early in the morning and “hear” messages that they then transcribe into their verse. This is supposed to be a heart wrenching/exhausting process. iqbal is complaining that this early morning ritual leaves him bleeding in the liver/heart. What sin have I committed O god, that you punish me thus.
ibteda kya hai – mohammed iqbal
iqbal was known to write about the merits of “Eastern spiritualism” as opposed to “Western materialism”. Each she’r in this Ghazal is an exponent of the superiority of spiritualism
Khirad-mandauN1 se kya poochhuN ke meri ibteda2 kya hai
ke maiN is fikr3 meN rahta huN, meri inteha4 kya hai
1.people of knowledge, experts, scientists 2.beginning 3.worry 4.fate, end
Scientists are absorbed in the mechanistic/materialistic theory of evolution. They are all worried about how human beings evolved. iqbal is worried about the spiritual heights that can be achieved.
Khudi1 ko kar baland2 itna ke har taqdeer3 se pahle
Khuda bande4 se Khud poochhe, bata teri raza5 kya hai
1.self, self-respect, self-reliance, spiritual self 2.high, powerful 3.fate 4.servant, creature 5.wish, will
Bring your spiritual self to such a high status that before every fate, god himself ask his servant, pray, what is your will.
maqaam1-e guftagu2 kya ho agar maiN keemiya-gar3 huN
yahi soz4-e nafas5 hai aur meri keemiya6 kya hai
1.place of, need for 2.conversation, discussion 3.chemist, early chemists were focused on making gold from base metals 4.fire of, passion of 5.breath, word 6.chemistry
If I were a chemist trying to make gold out of base metal, then there would be no need for conversation/discussion. But my alchemy is different (it is the development of spirituality which is akin to gold while materialism is akin to base metals). That is why I have fire/passion in my breath/word.
nazar aaiiN mujhe taqdir1 ki gahraaiyaaN2 us meN
na poochh aye ham-nashiN3 mujh se ye chashm4-e surma5-sa kya hai
1.fate 2.depths 3.friend 4.eye 5.collyrium lined
Collyrium lined eye is a Sufi practice. This is thought to give “baseerat” – insight. iqbal is talking about his own eye as the eye of a Sufi. He has insight and he is able to see the depth of fate/future.
agar hota vo majzoob1-e firaNgi2 is zamaane meN
to iqbal us ko samjhaata maqaam3-e kibria4 kya hai
1.mad/obsessed man 2.western 3.place/status 4.greatness, spirituality
iqbal is writing about Nietzsche. He considers his theory of super-man to be materialistic self-absorbtion. If that mad man had been around today, then iqbal would have shown him the status of spiritualism.
navaa1-e subah-gaahi2 ne jigar KhuN kar diya mera
Khudaaya jis Khata3 ki ye saza4 hai, vo Khata kya hai
1.voice, sound 2.early morning 3.fault, sin 4.punishment
This is a tongue-in-cheek complaint. Poets are supposed to get “inspiration” early in the morning and “hear” messages that they then transcribe into their verse. This is supposed to be a heart wrenching/exhausting process. iqbal is complaining that this early morning ritual leaves him bleeding in the liver/heart. What sin have I committed O god, that you punish me thus.
